Item 5 - Letter from George Mallory to Ruth Turner, 17 May 1914

Letter to Ruth Turner, written from Charterhouse School [Ruth was in Ireland with her family]

Was delighted her letter had arrived. The country sounded lovely and he wished he could walk the hills with her. Glad she loved the hills and was interested in Whymper’s ‘Scrambles’. They ought to have a proper climbing season that year in the Alps.

Had spent the morning altering the second four lines of the sonnet he was writing [See: MCPP/GM/3/1/1914/2] and gives her instructions on the metre and how best to read it. He hopes she will like it. He had been correcting Shakespeare papers and was behind with his correspondence. He had an aversion to the military and would like to discuss the subject more with her. He was a doubter in life with enough firm views for a firm foundation but liked to think and change his mind. Mary's [his sister] man Ralph Brooke was an instructor at Woolwich, and therefore both a school-master and a solider.

She wouldn't be lonely now she had the sonnet. He adds to the letter the next day asking her to date her letters.